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take in

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take in

  • /teɪk‿ˈɪn/ Canada, US, UK
  • /tæɪk‿ˈɪn/ Australia
  • /tæɪk‿ˈən/ New Zealand

verb takes in · taking in · took in · taken in

  1. transitive To receive. The company took in more than forty million euros last year.
  2. transitive To receive and properly absorb or comprehend. The news is a lot to take in right now.
  3. transitive To enjoy or appreciate. I'm just going to sit on a bench and take in the scenery.
  4. transitive To allow a person or an animal to live in one's home. take in a stray cat
  5. transitive To receive (goods) into one's home for the purpose of processing for a fee. In hard times, some women would take in washing and others dressmaking repairs.
  6. transitive To shorten (a garment) or make it smaller. Try taking the skirt in a little around the waist.

    Opposite: let out, let down

  7. transitive To attend a showing of. take in a show
  8. transitive To deceive; to hoodwink. Their grandma lost thousands of dollars because she was taken in by scammers.
  9. transitive To tighten (a belaying rope).

    Similar: take up

  10. obsolete To subscribe to home delivery of. [James Whiteside:] May I ask what newspaper you take in? [John Jolly:] I take in no newspaper. [James Whiteside:] Well, then, what newspapers do you read? [John Jolly:] I am glad to see any of them.
  11. To reef. The second mate holds on to the main top-gallant sail until a heavy sea is shipped, and washes over the forecastle as though the whole ocean had come aboard; when a noise further aft shows that that sail, too, is taking in.
  12. transitive To arrest (a person). The police took in the suspect.

    Similar: take up

Translations

Every language

verb absorb; comprehend

Españolprocesar, digerir
Françaisabsorber, assimiler
Italianoimpegnare, vincolare, assorbire, prendere

verb allow to live in one's home

Españolacoger
Portuguêsacolher
Italianoaccogliere, ospitare
Русскийприюти́ть prijutítʹ

verb receive into one's home for the purpose of processing for a fee

Italianofare lavoretti in casa

verb deceive; hoodwink

日本語騙す damasu
Françaisduper, rouler
Deutscheinwickeln
Italianoimbrogliare, ingannare, abbindolare

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Cite this
MLA

"take in." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/take%20in. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

take in. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/take%20in

Chicago

"take in." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/take%20in.

BibTeX
@misc{take_in_2026,
  title = {take in},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/take%20in},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}